Boat anchor



1956 J. L. WILSON 3,263,642

BOAT ANCHOR Filed Nov. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHNNIE L. WILSON FIG. 3 A/f ATTORNF'VS 2, 1966 J. L. WILSON 3,263,642

BOAT ANCHOR Filed Nov. 2, i964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR. JOHNNIE L. WILSON M7-ZW ATTORNFVS United States Patent 3,263,642 BOAT ANCHOR Johnnie L. Wilson, 802 E. Pine St., Tulsa, Okla. Filed Nov. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 408,084 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-208) This invention relates to a boat anchor. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved boat anchor characterized by increased effectiveness, light weight, and improved releasing ability.

The function of a boat anchor is to grasp in some manner the bottom of a body of water so that a boat may be held against the forces of wind and tide. A second important function of a well designed anchor is to quickly and easily release from its hold on the bottom when it is desired to withdraw the anchor. This invention provides a unique arrangement wherein a relatively light and easily handled anchor is extremely effective to engage the bottom of a body of water, to dig into the bottom or lodge against any irregularity in the bottom surface and at the same time to be substantially foul proof so that it is quickly and easily removed when required.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide an improved boat anchor.

A more particular object of this invention is to provide an improved boat anchor including means of assuring effectiveness in grasping the bottom of a body of water while at the same time providing substantially foul proof means of retrieving the anchor.

These and other objects will be appreciated and a better understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end view of the anchor of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the anchor of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the anchor as it appears while in place in grasping the bottom surface of a body of water.

FIGURES 4A, 4B and 4C show action of the anchor as it is dropped to the bottom of a body of water and positions itself to effectively engage the bottom surface.

FIGURE 5 shows the attitude of the anchor as it is removed or dislodged to be retrieved.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the fluke plate portion of the anchor.

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the anchor consists of the basic elements of:

A symmetrical flat integral fluke plate 10;

An elongated yoke shank 12;

An eyelet 14 afiixed to the upper end of the yoke shank, the eyelet serving as means for attaching a rope to the anchor;

A bolt 16 and nut 16A slidably retaining the fluke plate 10 within the yoke shank 12; and

First and second stock arms 18A and 18B pivoted to fluke plate 12.

The key to an important portion of the invention lies in the configuration of the fluke plate 10, best shown in FIGURE 6. The fluke plate 10 is preferably symmetrical as shown although such symmetry may be departed from while retaining the novelty of the configuration. Fluke plate 10 may be said to consist of a substantially crescent shaped lower portion 20, the tips of the crescent shaped lower portion 20 terminating in points 22A and 22B; a substantially circular upper portion 24 and intermediate neck portion 26 connecting the lower crescent portion 20 with the upper circular portion 24; and an elongated slot 28 extending from the lower to the upper portion. The slot 28 in the lower crescent portion is forked into two paths extending adjacent each of the points 22A and 22B, the forked slots turning near the bottom of the lower portion towards each other. The slot 28 is of single width. In the neck portion 26, it forks in the circular upper portion 24 to form a small crescent shaped tongue portion 30. Throughout its length and in every portion, the slot 28 is of sulficient Width to slidably receive bolt 16 as shown in FIGURES l and 2.

Referring again to FIGURES 1 and 2, it can be seen that the yoke shank 12 is U-shaped and, in the embodiment shown, each fork of the yoke is flat in configuration. This is optional as each side of the upper portion of the yoke shank 12 may be of any configuration as long as the lower portion 12A is flat to serve in the form of a Washer to maintain the fluke plate 10 centrally positioned between the forks of the yoke 12. i he lower portion of the yoke shank 12 is provided with opposed stock plates 32A and 32B extending perpendicularly of the shank plate 10. Pivoted to each of the stock plates 32A and 32B are stock arms 18A and 18B, the stock arms being held in pivoted position by bolts 34.

An alternate embodiment, which is illustrated, includes the provision of a small pointed fluke member 36 afiixed to the fl-uke plate 10 at each of the points 22A and 22B. Fluke plates 36 are positioned substantially in planes perpendicular to fluke plate 10 and serve to more effectively dig into the bottom of a body of water as the anchor is pulled by the movement of a boat.

Operation When the user of the anchor of this. invention is ready to lower the anchor into the water to hold the boat, the stock arms 18A and 18B are first pivoted from the storage position, which is parallel to the yoke shank 12, to the operating position which is shown in FIGURE 1, that is, extending perpendicularly to the fluke plate 10. Stock arms 18A and 1813, as best shown in FIGURE 3, serve to cause the anchor to always have one point 22A or 22B in contact with the surface of the bottom of the body of water in which the anchor is placed.

After stock arms 18A and 18B are pivoted to the ex tending diametnic positions as shown in FIGURE 1, the anchor is lowered to the water bottom and the action illustrated in FIGURES 4A, 4B and 40 takes place. As the anchor is lowered the yoke member slides upwardly in the slot 28 so that the bolt 16 is in the upper end of groove 28 in the circular portion 24. In this position, bolt 16 will be to one side or the other of the tongue portion 60. When the fluke plate 10 strikes the bottom of the body of water, the bolt 16 engages the upper surface of tongue portion 30 to cause the anchor to tilt to one side or the other. By the provision of the tongue portion 30, the bolt 16 through the yoke 12 always is within the upper circular portion 24 so that pull on the yoke portion 12 causes one of the points 22 of the yoke plate 10 to dig into the bottom surface.

When it is desired to retrieve the anchor, the boat operator moves the boat against the wind or tide so that it is directly over the anchor and then pulls upwardly to retrieve the anchor. As shown in FIGURE 5, as the boat moves over the anchor and the yoke portion 12 is pulled upwardly, the bolt 16 moves in slot 28 so that it is in the slot portions within the fluke plate 10. It can be seen that the bolt 16 may take either fork of the slot within the lower crescent shaped portion 20 of the tfluke plate as shown in the solid and dotted outline of FIGURE 5 and that thereafter any upward pull applies force substantially in line with the point 22A or 22B. This direct upward pull on the fluke plate substantialy eliminates any chance of the anchor becoming 'irretrievably entangled in rocks, sunken logs, and so on.

Patented August 2, 1966 from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

What is claimed: 1. .A boat anchor comprising: .a substantially symmetrical fiat integral fluke plate defined by (1) a substantially crescent shaped lower portion having opposed points, and (2) a substantially circular upper portion, the

lower and upper portions connected by a '(3) neck portion, the fluke plate having (4) an elongated slot therein extending from the lowerto the upper portion, the slot in the lower portion forked to two paths extending adjacent each of said points and turning near the bottom of the lower portion towards each other, the notch forked in the circular upper portion derfining (5) a small crescent shaped tongue portion substantially in the center of the circular upper portion;

an elongated yoked shank having (1) means at the upper end :to receive a rope,

and

(2) opposed aligned bolt holes adjacent the lower end, the yoked shank slidably receiving the [fluke plate there'between, the yoked shank having lower opposed stock plates extending perpendicularly of the shank plate;

a bolt extending through said aligned bolt holes in said shank and through said notch in said fluke plate; and

first and second stock arms each of a length substantially equal the length of said shank, a stock arm pivoted at one end thereof to each of said stock plates.

2. An anchor according to claim 1 including a pointed fluke member afiixed to said fluke plate at each of said points, said fluke members positioned substantially in planes perpendicular to the fluke plate.

No references cited.

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BOAT ANCHOR COMPRISING: A SUBSTANTIALLY SYMMETRICAL FLAT INTEGRAL FLUKE PLATE DEFINED BY (1) A SUBSTANTIALLY CRESCENT SHAPED LOWER PORTION HAVING OPPOSED POINTS, AND (2) A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR UPPER PORTION, THE LOWER AND UPPER PORTIONS CONNECTED BY A (3) NECK PORTION, THE FLUKE PLATE HAVING (4) AN ELONAGATED SLOT THEREIN EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER TO THE UPPER PORTION, THE SLOT IN THE LOWER PORTION FORKED TO TWO PATHS EXTENDING ADJACENT EACH OF SAID POINTS AND TURNING NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE LOWER PORTION TOWARDS EACH OTHER, THE NOTCH FORKED IN THE CIRCULAR UPPER PORTION DEFINING (5) A SMALL CRESCENT SHAPED TONGUE PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE CENTER OF THE CIRCULAR UPPER PORTION; 